NCAA will not renew EA Sports football video game

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The NCAA announced today it will not renew its contract with the popular Electronic Arts Sports NCAA Football video game, citing litigation costs and the best interests of the NCAA.

The decision comes as a federal judge considers whether to certify the Ed O'Bannon lawsuit, which in part claims EA Sports and the NCAA illegally used the likenesses of college players in the game without permission. EA's contract with the NCAA didn't expire until June 2014 and the NCAA said its timing is based on providing EA notice for future planning.

"As a result, the NCAA Football 2014 video game will be the last to include the NCAA's name and logo," the NCAA said in its statement. "We are confident in our legal position regarding the use of our trademarks in video games. But given the current business climate and costs of litigation, we determined participating in this game is not in the best interests of the NCAA."

The NCAA said it has never licensed the use of "current" athlete names, images or likenesses to EA.

"The NCAA has no involvement in licenses between EA and former student-athletes," the NCAA wrote. "Member colleges and universities license their own trademarks and other intellectual property for the video game. They will have to independently decide whether to continue those business arrangements in the future."

EA Sports will continue to have a non-NCAA affiliated college football video game called "College Football 15," ESPN.com reported, citing an anonymous source. In a statement, EA Sports said it will continue to develop college football video games without the NCAA names and marks.

"Our relationship with the Collegiate Licensing Company is strong and we are already working on a new game for next generation consoles which will launch next year and feature the college teams, conferences and all the innovation fans expect from EA Sports," EA's statement said. "We took big creative strides with this year's college game and you'll see much more in the future. We love college football and look forward to making more games for our fans."

Michael Hausfeld, the lead attorney for the O'Bannon plaintiffs, said he could envision EA striking deals with universities depending on what transpires in the case. Hausfeld said the NCAA decision to end the contract "underscores their belief they're above the law."

"It demonstrates how petty and vengeful the association is," Hausfeld said. "At this point because of the pressure of this litigation, it's choosing to defend itself by saying that it never licensed the names, images and likenesses of players. It's punishing the players and consumers by cutting the agreement with EA rather than share revenue with the players."

Former sports marketer Sonny Vaccaro, who helped line up some of the plaintiffs in the O'Bannon case, praised the decision by the NCAA.

"I'm very, very happy to see that common sense and truth is coming out in the world of amateur athletics," Vaccaro said. "I think the fight of the players, past and present, shows a need for an honest fight and belief in one's self to hopefully get these kind of results."

The O'Bannon plaintiffs claim the NCAA was incentivized to "look the other way" when EA created a way for consumers to add players' names in football and basketball video games. Late NCAA President Myles Brand wrote in an e-mail that "we can take care of the legal issues through an expanded waiver."

According to the plaintiffs, the NCAA's position first was that the images were not likenesses unless they were developing using "mapping technology." Then the NCAA reversed its interpretation from one month earlier that "the download of actual rosters violates student athletes rights," according to an EA document cited by the plaintiffs.

Updated at 4:21 p.m. to include comments by Michael Hausfeld, the lead attorney for the O'Bannon plaintiffs. Updated at 5:31 p.m. to include EA Sports' statement.